The Bisons women's volleyball team welcomes Regina to IGAC on Friday at 6 pm and Saturday at 4 pm for a key weekend tilt, aiming to surge up the conference standings. Currently at 4-2 following a sweep of the Brandon Bobcats, Manitoba has lost just ten sets all year, and haven't lost a regular season game to the Cougars in four years.
Last weekend, left side
Raya Surinx made history, surging into first all-time in career kills for the program in the rally scoring era, with 1,412, eclipsing a 11-year record of 1,390 previously set by Rachel Cockrell. The back-to-back U SPORTS Player of the Year leads Canada West with 4.22 kills per set, while her career average of 4.36 kills per set is second all-time in Canada West history. She also needs just 11 aces to set a new regular season school record in the rally scoring era, at 150.
Four different Bisons have at least 30 kills this season, paced by Surinx's 97, followed by
Ella Gray's 52,
Eve Catojo's 48 and
Andi Almonte's 32. The four standout seniors have been pillars over the last number of years for the Herd, and all four have at least 550 career kills overall.
True freshman
Julia Martens has been the go-to at setter following a lower body injury to
Elia Falcone early in the season, and she's responded with 139 assists overall, averaging 9.93 pet set, which ranks third in Canada West. Meanwhile, 6'0" libero
Chelsea Siebenga, who transitioned to the position in the off-season following the graduation of
Julia Arnold, leads Canada West with 3.87 digs per set, while Catojo leads the conference in blocks per set, with 1.52. Her hitting percentage of .382 is also third in the conference.
The 2-6 Cougars have been paced on the attack by veteran Jordy McEachern, who's recorded double digit kills in four different matches. Her 97 kills are sixth in Canada West, and she'll surely be a favourite target for setter Cassadi Klapak all weekend. Samathana Krauser and Anna Schultz are also players to keep an eye on, with 78 and 70 kills, respectively, while middle Zoe Thompson has 32 blocks, just three shy of Catojo for the conference lead.
